Jeremy Lin (merged threads)

[Eja117]

Yeah, but while this is very deep I don't think it would prevent him from doing car commercials or something. And I don't think making the fortune cookie ice cream would stop him from doing that either.

Plus here's the thing. We all eat fortune cookies, ice cream, noodles, and "chinese food". So in a way using him for that stuff I don't see as all that bad. Now if they made chinese food in the shape of a dog and called it Linsanity I would see that as a big bad no no, because that's taboo here.

If you vaguely recall the rise of Connie Chung's fame, in the 70s/80s, she was the first primer Asian-American female anchorperson. Throughout her rise to becoming a mainstay media fixture, she'd separated herself from Asian-American type of affiliations. A lot of east Asian organizations complained about her for this reason, because they'd said that she'd sold out and became *white* in the inside. I guess the slur for that is a 'twinkie' or a 'banana'.

But strangely enough ... she did become a de-facto white. And what I mean by that is that for some reason, much of America didn't see her as a type of cultural or ethnic invasion into their national news outlet and they unconsciously incorporated her, as if she were from some eastern European/central Asian nation and not really an *east Asian* disaporic per se. The result is clear because in the 80s, east Asian anchorwomen were being hired, all over, in various media outlets throughout the country. Today, you'd be hard pressed, not to find an Asian woman in a newsroom. And a lot of it has to do with the type of image which Connie had projected and that's that Asians aren't any different from any other person who ancestors had come from eastern Europe.

For Lin, however, if he wants to conjure a similar type of effect, he'll need to do something in the same vein. If he starts on the Deepak Copra path, then he's really accepted that fortune cookie label, which will prevent him from being more mainstream and less ethnic. Instead, his car ads will have that 'Tokyo Drift' ala Asian mafia [see Chow Fat/Hong Kong ] movies spin, instead of a cool guy, who just won the NBA trophy, taking his Porsche out for a drive.

I remember Connie Chung. I remember her marrying Maury Povich leading to absolutely hilarious jokes about....actually not appropriate for here....but I don't remember lots of other asian reporters following her. Not saying it didn't happen, just that I definitely don't remember it.

Maybe if Lin were in an ad with other guys too. Like the team eating out.

Maybe if it were more subtle like he eats something at a place, then drives his Chrysler while listening to rap and he goes to hang out at Harvard and has a couple women of various backgrounds around him...sorta like Eminem.

Is Yao different? I thought his commercial where he was on the phone telling them to tell Charles Barkley it was the head he was eating was hilarious.

I just think this is a little deep. Maybe he needs to do some mainstream stuff first then he can do whatever. I have to wonder now if he does ads for cars from Japan and Korea if that will be worse than GM and German cars. I just can't see him getting out of a truck really. Or off a Harley.

[TitleMaster]

I remember Connie Chung. I remember her marrying Maury Povich leading to absolutely hilarious jokes about....actually not appropriate for here....but I don't remember lots of other asian reporters following her. Not saying it didn't happen, just that I definitely don't remember it.

Well, no one's achieved Connie's level of fame, since she's at the Barbara Walters/Diane Sawyer recognition territory (which is quite impressive, considering that those two are are the Bird & Magic of female anchors). Today, city-by-city, there are Asian female anchors and journalists all over. Before Connie's fame, that wasn't the case. 

Maybe if Lin were in an ad with other guys too. Like the team eating out.

Maybe if it were more subtle like he eats something at a place, then drives his Chrysler while listening to rap and he goes to hang out at Harvard and has a couple women of various backgrounds around him...sorta like Eminem.

Is Yao different? I thought his commercial where he was on the phone telling them to tell Charles Barkley it was the head he was eating was hilarious.

I just think this is a little deep. Maybe he needs to do some mainstream stuff first then he can do whatever. I have to wonder now if he does ads for cars from Japan and Korea if that will be worse than GM and German cars. I just can't see him getting out of a truck really. Or off a Harley.

Yao's clearly the international visitor/outsider to the States and he plays it up, pretty well. He's a type of NBA poster child, to promote the sport for international markets.

And I agree, Lin should start mainstream and if that doesn't go his way, then it's the Jackie Chan/Deepak Chopra path, assuming that he needs the cash.

[Eja117]

I'm just a little surprise Lin couldn't do both outsider and insider at the same time

I eat my Ben and Jerry fortune cookie ice cream cause I like it, then when I'm done I drive my Porsche to Whole Foods and but more. Check out my awesome jacket from Amazon.com. Woah. My expensive wrist watch is telling me I've been talking to you too long. I'm going to Don Quiote's to meet up with Eli Manning. Hmm. Panda Express. That looks good too. Maybe tomorrow. Cue rap music

America is like this now.

[TitleMaster]

I'm just a little surprise Lin couldn't do both outsider and insider at the same time

I eat my Ben and Jerry fortune cookie ice cream cause I like it, then when I'm done I drive my Porsche to Whole Foods and but more. Check out my awesome jacket from Amazon.com. Woah. My expensive wrist watch is telling me I've been talking to you too long. I'm going to Don Quiote's to meet up with Eli Manning. Hmm. Panda Express. That looks good too. Maybe tomorrow. Cue rap music

America is like this now.

Let's wait and see. I think there's still another generation left before it's truly fluid.

If you recall the Japan bashing of the 80s, today, it's outsourcing bashing of Indians and Chinese in the 00s. In the future, starting really with this current *downturn* generation, the idea of an old world culture/race being a threat to Uncle Sam/Lady Liberty will fade out. I think 2025 will be a lot different and I suspect that an Asian star then, will have the best of both worlds, assuming that there are even two worlds then. 

[dark_lord]

It would be one thing if companies were getting Lin's approval before doing this stuff, but they're just stereotyping and profiting off him.

As far as the Ben and Jerry's, it's not that one specific thing, but the combination of all the little things that makes it racist. What generally happens when you are a minority is that you are a minority first, and then an American. Jeremy Lin has been typecast to fit the stereotypical role of everything Asian. The fact that those stereotypes exist and are acceptable is what makes it racism.

The difference between that and Homer Simpson is I don't think white Americans go around going "that's exactly how white people act." They know it's a caricature. With minorities, the line gets blurred on what people believe.  For someone at Ben & Jerry's to go "he's Asian...fortune cookies!" is a sign of ignorance about who Jeremy Lin is and who Taiwanese people are.

For all of the attention he's received I know nothing about how Jeremy Lin defines himself or his background, and journey. He's been thrown in the limelight and appears to be doing everything to remain humble and focused.

hit the nail on the head

[Donoghus]

I can certainly see the offensiveness in it but, not gonna lie, that ice cream sounded delicious.  I can only imagine how good a ice cream with bits of fortune cookie tastes.   I love both.  The combination of both is an idea so simple but something I would've never considered.